Morialta Falls, home of the Three Falls hike and many other walking trails, offers scenic views of the breathtaking hills surrounding Adelaide. This is one of the top hikes in Adelaide and a favorite walking trail among locals. The Morialta Falls hike is the perfect weekend workout with spectacular views and also great chances of spotting wildlife such as Kangaroos or Koalas.
MORIALTA FALLS HIKE IN ADELAIDE
In this blog post about the Morialta Falls hike, I will share with you all of the details you need in order to enjoy this hike such as distance, incline, best viewpoints along the way, where to park, the best time of day, photo opportunities, and other attractions nearby.
MORIALTA FALLS LOOP TRAIL HIKE DETAILS
There are many hikes nearby Morialta Falls but I will be focusing on the most popular, which is the Morialta Falls Loop Trail
- Hike Distance: The total distance of the hike is 14.2 Kilometers
- Hike Duration: The hike will take you about 4 hours up and down
- Hike Incline: Total incline for the hike was 657 meters
- Hike Difficulty: This hike is a well defined but definitely a challenge. There are several very steep sections and at times you may find a few parts with exposure next to the trail. However, the trail itself is relatively safe, wide and well maintained.
What are my favorite pieces of hiking gear?
There are four pieces of gear that I simply never forget when I go on a hike. These are four items that I using right now and this list gets updated every year! Here are my hiking essentials.
- Arcteryx BETA AR Rain Jacket: This is my go-to rain jacket. It’s super light, folds down into a tiny ball, and protects brilliantly in a storm. This one never leaves my backpack.
- Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX Hiking Boots: For the best ankle support, waterproofing, and durable exterior I’m a fan of tough but light hiking boots like these Salomons for my adventures.
- Black Diamond Head Torch: I can’t tell you how many times, I’ve arrived back from a hike unexpectedly late. I always keep this lightweight but strong headtorch in my bag for the unexpected.
- Darn Tough Socks: These are the most comfortable hiking socks I’ve ever worn and last for years. They also have a lifetime warranty and you just send them in with a hole and they replace it no questions asked.
HOW TO GET TO MORIALTA FALLS
Just 15 minutes from the city center of Adelaide, it is no wonder why this spot is so popular among locals. An easy drive out of the city will find you at the large parking lot at the base of the hike. There are toilets and water facilities at the Morialta Falls trailhead.
I’ve attached the Morialta Falls hike trailhead pin location on the map below to help you find the directions you need.
MY EXPERIENCE ON THE MORIALTA FALLS HIKE
I decided to begin our trip back to Adelaide with one of my favorite hikes in the stunning Morialta Conservation Park. Morialta Falls, as it is known around town, is a steep hike with beautiful views of rugged ridges and active wildlife.
In the parking lot, there is a sign showing the numerous routes you can take ranging from 30 minutes to several hours. The most popular are the Three Falls hike and the Loop Trail which was marked by different colors. The trail uses colors and labels at each split in the trail to show you exactly which way you should head.
After some early ascent up a steep path, we reached the first lookout and we already had glimpses of Adelaide city and the caves, waterfalls, and ridgelines around us. This would be a great spot to loop back for people looking to have a quick workout with a view. You could definitely hike up Morialta Falls, enjoy the view and be back in your car heading home in under an hour.
We decided to continue on our journey around the loop. The trail leveled after our moderately rigorous climb and we could now enjoy the views and begin looking out for wildlife. We managed to spot a number of birds, a fairly intimidating spider, and several koalas. While we didn’t see any koalas while we were actually on the trail, we saw seven koalas during the drive to the parking lot.
After just over an hour we reached the Third Falls. They were an impressive, strongly flowing cascade, as it had just rained heavily in the week prior to our hike. Despite the heavy rain, the trail remained dry enough and there were only a few sections with mud. We enjoyed the spectacle of the waterfall for a few moments before heading back and stopping only once more at my favorite waterfall of the hike.
This spot has a nice boardwalk that you can walk down from to sit out on the edge of the rock overlooking the valley and if you squint, you can make out several buildings in the city. This was a great way to start our short vacation in Adelaide and brought back many great memories from this very location.
We made it back to the parking lot after about four hours. If we had walked straight through, rather than stopping for photos and some rock climbing, it would have been possible to complete this hike in under two hours.
I hope you enjoyed this guide to the Morialta Falls hike in Adelaide.